Farm bill draws criticism

11:44 PM,
Jun. 22, 2013

Lamar Alexander

Written by

Paul C. Barton
| The Tennessean

Tennessee's congressional Republicans usually find themselves on the same page as think tanks and advocacy organizations that call for restraining government spending.

But when it comes to setting federal agricultural policy for coming years through a farm bill currently making its way through Congress, those organizations find the positions of most Tennessee Republicans unpalatable.

"Taken as a whole, this legislation (the House farm bill) is a far cry from the free-market reforms that would allow farming to flourish, give consumers a fair shake and protect taxpayers from ...